Biden to sign new orders to give states COVID-19 help, widen testing

Source: UPI

President Joe Biden will sign several more orders on Thursday as he moves quickly to implement his administration’s response to the COVID-19 crisis and provide aid to struggling Americans.

Biden will sign at least 10 executive orders Thursday, administration officials said. They are all aimed at jump-starting Biden’s aggressive new strategy to fight the outbreak.

“For almost a year now, Americans could not look to the federal government for any strategy, let alone a comprehensive approach, to respond to COVID, and we’ve seen the tragic costs of that failure,” Jeff Zients, Biden’s coronavirus coordinator, said late Wednesday.

The orders on Thursday will summon the Defense Production Act to increase key supplies necessary for conducting large-scale vaccine distribution and increase testing. The efforts are also aimed at producing more masks and other protective equipment.

“We will do whatever we need to do to ensure that we have an adequate supply of vaccine,” Tim Manning, Biden’s coronavirus supply coordinator, said.

Full Story @ UPI